The Circuit Benders’ Ball takes place in Nashville, TN over the weekend of August 25 through 27, and we’re still looking for participants! If you’d like to perform, provide visual projections or electronic art, speak, teach, or volunteer, you need to apply by June 1 at 11:59pm.

The event is called NO MEDIA and the concept is simple. All attendees — yes, including you — bring something to perform with. The NO MEDIA Tumblr explains the rest:

Participating artists are randomly matched in sets of 3 and given 10mins to perform. NO MEDIA aims to bring together artists from a broad range of performable disciplines (poets + dancers + expanded cinemaistas + free jazzers + audio/video noise makers + etc) to challenge the conventions of their practice by responding in realtime to artists from other disciplines.

NO preparation is allowed. Bring your tools, devices, instruments, props, etc., but you’ve got to start with a blank slate. NO time will be allotted for ‘setup’. There will be a 2min turn around time where you can carry your stuff up and meet your collaborators. NO documentation allowed. It happens once and in realtime.

The idea was conceived by Chicago glitch artists Jason Soliday, Nick Briz, and Jeff Kolar. The May 20 event is organized by CBB director Tyler Blankenship.

We will be accepting donations that will go toward CBB, and we’ll also have rare posters and merch for sale.

I’ve participated in a few No Media events in the past. They are enormous fun and a great way to meet new people. Don’t miss it!

Tim Kaiser, maker supreme, ambient maestro, and two-time Circuit Benders’ Ball performer, is returning to Nashville on Friday, April 14th to perform a special set at Make Nashville. On Saturday afternoon, he will lead a piezoelectric pick-up workshop.

Based out of Duluth, Minnesota, Tim creates his own instruments out of thrift store finds, children’s musical toys, automotive parts, and in a few cases, snow plows! He plucks, bows, loops, and bends the instruments into melodic, otherworldly ambient music. This profile by Make TV is a great introduction:

Opening the Friday evening show is Nashville keyboardist and circuit bender No Stress (Paul Horton). Paul plays in the jazz duo Concurrence and is a touring member of the Alabama Shakes. As the solo act No Stress, Paul uses circuit-bent toys, keyboards, and looping pedals to make music unlike anything you’ve heard.

Here’s Paul at the 2014 Circuit Benders’ Ball (under the moniker The Tree is Base):

Saturday afternoon from 12pm to 3pm, Tim Kaiser will lead a workshop on making piezoelectric pick-ups, the very same kind he puts in his kalimbas and bowed instruments.

I’m happy to announce that the Circuit Benders Ball will be coming back to Nashville, August 25th to 27th, 2017!

CBB is a biennial festival of hardware hacking, art, music, and the creative spirit. I ran the first three. This year, Tyler Blankenship will be taking over as Festival Director, and I’m excited for his vision of the fest!

Submissions are now open for performers, visual artists, multimedia artists, presenters, workshop instructors, and volunteers. To apply, head on over to the brand spankin’ new website, built by CBB participant Morgan Higby-Flowers.

The Ball will take place at the East Nashville art collective The Complex. We’re still working out the details will provide an address and showtimes soon.